


The devil may cry

by naps_and_coffee



Series: Marco is a god [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: It's sheenanigan there, M/M, Marco is a god, Marco's flame actually burns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:28:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25136941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naps_and_coffee/pseuds/naps_and_coffee
Summary: One night a massacre. They say it's a devil doing..“If god really is forbidden to side with a human…”Marco tcks at that (earning a chuckle from Edward), hissing, “I will side with you even if heaven itself curses for me. Well, actually that’s what it does, cursing me. You lifted that curse, Edward. I will be with you now and forever.”Newgate smiles, teasingly. “Forever?”
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Portgas D. Ace, Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Shirohige | Whitebeard | Edward Newgate
Series: Marco is a god [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1834402
Comments: 9
Kudos: 49





	1. One night, a massacre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's fully intended.

"Hi, beautiful. Wanna come home with me tonight?"

The leer, perverted as another. And then touch just as revolting. Marco looks up to see a smiling man behind this charade of lechery without a rise. He reaches for his drink and sips his barrel without looking away.

"That's one fine dagger," said Marco, as his eyes find the man's waist where a dagger is slung on a fine leather sheath.

"Oh yeah, it's one of the highest quality. It'll make you scream tonight. But don't worry, I'll make sure you do it in ecsta-"

One swift motion and the dagger finds its way to the man's neck. Slicing it through. There is never a scream as the head falls. Only after it rolls, the girls start to cry and men curse colorfully.

Marco checks for the man's purse. Leaving two gold coins on the counter as a payment with ease. He sees terror in the barkeep's eyes when he rises up, and indeed there are rises behind his back.

Marco looks at the gun holding and sword-wielding men around him (since girls are already left, smart creatures). No word is necessary. He pulls his bag up and starts to walks.

* * *

_"There is a massacre on the bar last night?! How is it possible?!"_

_"This this a pirate doing again? This place is not even a prime port!"_

_"Marine should have sent someone, this is getting out of hand!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that it'll gather more crowd if it were Marcoace but instead this is WB/M. I consider making an alternative for Marcoace because it'll give different vibe? And different plot too (a bit?). Although for now, it'll build as WB/M first. Thank you for reading ^^


	2. Man in the yellow-striped suit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Man appears behind Marco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew that I shouldn't post an update when the story wasn't complete. Because it's a bad omen. I did anyway... because I was in a bad mood.

"Poor stupid pirates."

Marco doesn't stop at the comment. He doesn't need to.

"I expect that you're still keeping your words, hey Marco?"

Marco lets out his blue fire. The man in a yellow striped suit steps back almost immediately. Grinning. "I take that as yes. Good to know."

By the time Marco sent out some flashy flame-spears, that man had already disappeared.

Marco tcks.


	3. Meet the boy with a huge tattoo on his back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco wonders how the freshman hasn't noticed the boy's tattoo, at all.

Being in the street for so long (he is traveling, mind you), Marco can’t avoid folks tale that’s circulating around. Moreover when he is on public transportation.

He’ll hear something like: ‘beware of the monster of snow, she is coming for young men’, or ‘a blood-sucking mutant has been spotted in a city nearby, all young girls are mandated to stay inside by the time that the sun sets’.

Ridiculous, really… but effective.

All those monsters are human (of course) that prey on a poor gullible young human who’s still outside by the night time. Hence, staying indoor will be alright for most cases. Not in his case, though. His monster case. If you can say so.

“That’s really stupid for you to fall asleep on the boat like that.”

A sigh.

“And then you missed your stop too. Don’t you know it’s a really dangerous time to wander around at night time?”

That young man, a shirtless boy with an orange cowboy hat, dutifully grimaces as the ferryman moaning for his misfortune. Though Marco sees that his worry doesn’t even reach his eyes at all. That boy is completely at ease.

“This is the last ferry you know? You better find lodging as soon as we reach the next stop. You shall be able to find one, it’s not like it’s peak season anyway.” The man said. “Though I don’t think we’re going to see a peak season so soon. The conflict between the rebel army and the royal army sure makes it hard for people like us to make a living.”

“I see.”

“Why are you here anyway? Are you a traveler or what? You sure don’t bring a lot with you.”

Marco would have glared and said something to shut a chatterbox like that. This man though indulges in the talk and looks pretty friendly. Considering his huge tattoo in the back, Marco wonders how in the world the ferryman isn’t aware of it yet.

“I am just passing around to meet my younger brother. I hoped to see him around here, but then I missed the stop. It’s fine, I will meet him in one or another way.”

That young man smiles to Marco, for whatever reason, and then asks. “What about you? Why are you here Mr. Silent and sulk?”

Marco is stunned. He is in no mood to chat and he does make sure to make his face look that way. What makes this boy think otherwise?

“Whoa, chill it. I am just bored and we bored people tend to talk to people to relieve our boredom? Right, Mr. Ferryman?”

The Ferryman laughs.

Marco scowls.

(Good thing that the annoying young man takes the hint and soon leaving him alone. The not-so-subtle curious glances that he sends don’t really help though)

* * *

Marco hears that the Marine is searching for the man who is reportedly massacred a certain bar. Funny. Since he knows that it's only a cover. They'll never bother him for such a thing.

Which makes him wonder a lil bit.

Because that was Borsalino who met him the other night. Man did not make a move like that. Not for a bunch of random pirates, that's for sure.

“Can’t be helped, what with the emperor fighting with the warlord. I guess we can only watch and pray that they don’t come to this place.”

“But I heard that one of the emperors was currently sailing in these seas?”

“I thought they were all in Grandline and New World?”

“Damn it, and to think that we’re all safe outside the devil seas!”

Marco looks at those people, but not really. He sips his drink and asks for the bill.

* * *

“I seriously thought that the man I met yesterday was pretty familiar.”

“What man?”

“Some man. I don’t know… he was quiet, and going full glaring at me when I tried to speak to him. I mean… he is not one to forget easy so how can I forget if I have met him or not but…”

“You mean you’re having hots for him.”

“Hey!”

Deuce laughs. “Anyway, when are you coming back? Pops is asking for you.”

Ace hums, still rolling on the bed of cheap lodging he found (though he doesn’t mind sleeping outside, the barkeep has been insisting and he is even promised hearty breakfast. Slow season, the barkeep said, due to Alabastan’s conflict, just like what the Ferryman told him) and sighs.

“Why? Did something happen there?”

Deuce groans. “Marine has been busy, and even if it’s not about us, because they know better not to do anything to us, we should stay alert.”

“Really? Something must have happened then.”

“I told you didn’t know. Haruta is wiretapping their communication now.”

“I see.”

“We should end this call too.”

“Really? It is that bad? I don’t mind somebody listening to me talking about someone curious.”

“Good night Ace.”

“Hey! What, you’re really hanging up on me? Damnit! And I even asked you to be my vice-captain…”

Ace pouts. Responder snail is put to silence, he grumbledly plops down on the bed.

* * *

A man is restless while sipping his tea. A pet goat is munching his hay meal nearby. 

“I don’t like it.” that man said.

The other man in the room, who happens to be tending his tree doesn’t even try to look up. 

“What you don’t like Sengoku?”

A sigh. 

“I have been dreading it since long but this time I feel it strongly. A hunch, a big one.”

This time the man tending his tree is looking up. He looks up to his superior, assessing. “You’re rather vague.”

Sengoku hums. “Do you believe in god Sakazuki? Or karma, in that sense?”

Sakazuki frowns. “No. You’re thinking too much.”

In the silence that follows, the goat bleats.


	4. Once upon a time, there was a god...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Once upon a time, there was a raging god…”

“Once upon a time, there was a raging god…”

“What’re you talking about?”

“This god was so powerful and he was always angry. Everybody that came in a close encounter with him disappeared without a trace. They were all scorched by the hottest fire. The fire of rage and destruction!”

Chopper howls in the night and quickly snuggles closer to Zoro. The swordsman dutifully accommodates the reindeer, all while glaring to Sanji.

“Why are you telling him that?” he demands, as he feels that the reindeer is almost pulsating on his chest.

“Entertainment.” said the cook as he blows his cigarette like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Also a tribute for our honor guest.”

True to this, Ace claps. The guy is fed with meats that are off-limit for the captain while listening to the tale. Ignoring his sulking younger brother who is sulking on the corner (he fails to steal anything from his Nii-chan, that’s why). “That’s an interesting story. What happened with the fire god?”

“Soon he found out that he had scorched everybody on the planet and left by himself. He got so lonely and eventually he killed himself.”

“What the fuck?”

“But only because of his death, the planet could live once again and prosper.”

“You said he killed everybody?”

“Well, the planet would still prosper without human, wouldn’t it?”

“So it was an animal planet?”

“That’s not the point.”

Luffy is risking a hand as he stretches them to reach one of the meat dishes. Ace steps on his hand easily.

“Awwww… that hurts! Give me some meats!”

“Don’t be a baby, Luffy. You had them too in the palace.”

Luffy mewls in the background. Cursing on his Nii-chan.

* * *

“Blue fire, you said?”

The man in the intimidation whimpers. “I… I swear, that’s true. Nothing’s burned though. But I can’t be wrong about that.”

“And you see the man who did that?”

Man whimpers again. Firstly, there is no audible voice, but then after a swift motion of a naginata, the man shallow saliva and says, “Tall, blond man. I don’t see much of him, the fire’s everywhere, I only thought of a way to escape.”  
Man with naginata hums. “Thank you, you're very helpful.”

“What?”

Eyes of regret after, but then it is necessary. If they hear about it, then there is no saving it. He has wait for years for this. And man… Blood’s pumping quickly. The euphoria and the excitement. Expectation. And finally, a smile.

* * *

“This is getting merry.” Marco smiles. Looking at his guest who has been so kindly welcoming him. “Even though I remember saying that I am not interested.”

Man, did humans evolve real quick since the last time he engaged with them? Or did they reverse-evolve it? Because…

An ancient elephant, really?

“Don’t be sissy and come with us. Kaido-san wants to meet you.”

“So are Sengoku and Sakazuki. Tell him to wait in line.“

“Bastard!”

Marco sighs. “I am not doing this with you. When I try to be discreet, you lot are the last thing I shall have an encounter with.”

The mammoth roars and quickly grows in size. “I am so going to drown you.”

Marco laughs.

* * *

“Kaido is certainly gathering forces. He is preparing to go all in a war with you.” The red-haired man said, all in his smallness though without reducing his importance next to the towering rivaling captain.

“I don’t care.”

The red-haired man frowns. “You think you can win.”

“I think you worry too much.”

“I saw it.”

“I believe that you do.”

Silence grows. Newgate is sipping his bribe sake, watching as facial expression plays on his guest’s face. _How far did Red-Hair see?_ He muses. Did he see his demise on a war for a territory or was it just another battle for that title, which he didn’t have and clearly didn’t care about.

“I saw something else too.” Red-Hair eventually said. “I had never seen it before. Nothing like that. Who is he?” he asked with a look that spoke of pure curiosity.

Newgate wants to laugh, out of exhilaration. A little smile threatens to show on his frowning face. He only hums though.

“Once upon a time…”


	5. Man with eyes of the moon and the brightest blue fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Won’t you come with me?”
> 
> “Why, of course.”

* * *

“Won’t you come with me?”

Man with eyes of the moon and the brightest blue fire that met them.

“Why, of course.”

* * *

The first time seeing the man, a god, Newgate was drunk.

Stupidly.

Embarrassingly too. He may have asked for the man, man must have rejected. And he sat there, nursing a drinking barrel while mending his broken heart.

Or was that a dream because the day after, his head pounded so badly it felt like splitting. He saw the man-god again. Looking no worse for wear, talking to a child.

Looked like that man was asking for direction, or maybe he wasn’t. From the way, he looked so composed and chill as he was getting instructed with some of the vaguest things like …

“When you see a tree that looks funny, you’ll see a road not long after the bird caws so noisy.”

It sounded like a fairytale mission and he was not sure anyone can follow that kind of direction. That man only wanted to go to the port.

“You can go with me if you want. I have my ship docked there. I can take you wherever you want. If you please.” he interrupted.

Because he was stupid, again.

Man looked at him funny and Newgate didn’t blame him. He himself was pretty sure that he sounded unconvincing and suspicious as hell.

“if you have a ship docked there, why are you venturing deep into the land? If I may ask.”

He was polite. Wow. Even if he sounded a little bit sarcastic.

“Because I am looking for a crew.”

“You’re pirate?”

“Obviously. Do you mind?”

The man smirked. He did what? “Not at all. I’ll be in your guidance if you please.”

Newgate blinked once, and then twice. He grinned so wide he must be looking funny.

“Of course.”

* * *

The guy’s name was Marco and he went with that name only. “No surname? Like Newgate? I don’t mean that as an offer though.”

Marco shrugged. “No. And thank you. I didn’t see it as an offer too. Don’t worry.”

Newgate smiled. Marco guy was funnier than he thought. Sailing was pretty much easy too. Marco was really adept at reading the weather. He knew way too much for this water and Newgate began to daydream to have him as a navigator. He never asked though. Would be embarrassing, really. Not to mention clingy.

* * *

Marco said goodbye as he continued his journey on the mainland, where Newgate couldn’t follow. Because his life was meant to be in the sea and he had crews to built (which he forgot for a while when Marco was around).

Newgate only went as much as sailing from one island to another because he was good at navigation but not as good as Marco. And Marco was abysmal.

* * *

He gathered a few lads on his journey and finally felt confident enough to start his journey on the devil sea. Thinking that maybe he would never see him anymore, because what kind of man sailing on the grandline for fun? Only the pirate did.

The night at the island of the beginning. He met a fellow friend, someone who had gathered a real good people (not that he was not comfortable with his own’s but somehow it felt different) who’s also aiming the devil sea to set sail on.

That man said, out of the blue, that he saw a shooting star on the previous night. Newgate told him he must be really drunk. They laughed together.

Before separating that night, Roger mentioned that somehow his crew, Newgate’s, looked pretty odd. He laughed at it, telling his second-hand man to bring his captain back.

Newgate remembered seeing Rayleigh and wished to have Marco as his vice-captain. Stupid wish and stupid old drunken man. Okay, maybe he was not that old.

He was not yet in his thirty and hence was still young. And the young man needed to fuck. He asked for a handsome man that resembled Marco a lot and that man fortunately agreed.

* * *

What the fuck, he woke up to a pounding head and a man that looked like Marco on his bed. No, it was Marco. Real-life Marco.

What the fuck.

“They came to you when you’re sleeping. I chased them out. But I think they run away with your ship.”

And apparently, because his brain was still on his dick.

“Did we?”

“No.”

“Ah.”

He must have sounded so disappointed because Marco smiled at him. “If you’re not so drunk then probably I will let you.”

Edward Newgate was so gonna be a fearsome pirate captain. He was quite famous back then too. But for now, he was an ex-captain whose crew fled and stole his ship. He was only a man and he landed a right to blush. And be a dick-head.

“Was that a promise?”

Marco smiled. “Yes.”

Okay, totally blushing. Maybe, even his mustache turned pink.

“You don’t sound so bothered about losing a ship. And a shitty crew.”

“Well, I got you. That wouldn’t compare. And a crew who couldn’t stomach the prospect of sailing on the grandline was not a good crew to sail with.”

Yes, he knew. Because they told him so. And still, he insisted.

“Why are you taking them in then, if they’re not good enough?”

“Because I was desperate? And they were strays.”

Marco nodded. “Right, I am a stray too.”

Newgate couldn’t find an answer to that. “I’ll see if I can get us breakfast.”

“Huh?”

Before Newgate could answer, Marco had walked out the door. Newgate was kinda scared that Marco wouldn’t come back and he might have dreamed it all, but ten minutes later the handsome man was back with a hearty breakfast and drink. Newgate believed that he had fallen in love.

* * *

“Why a pirate?” The question was out one night.

Newgate looked at Marco fondly, though with less luster eyes. He was rather humming when he answered, “I was always a pirate. In my previous crew, where I was a crew for, I did something bad. We all did. And I knew that I didn’t want to do it anymore. Not that kind of bad.”

It sounded like a justification and indeed it was just that. Maybe Marco wouldn't like what he heard? He could bear that, probably. Or not.

“What about you?” he asked then, just to break the silence.

Marco had been travelling for long, maybe it was just his call. To see foreign lands, to see the world. His answer was nothing like that though. Just like him, Marco's eyes look somber. 

“This is my repentance.”

That's an odd one. Must be reflected on his eyes, since Marco added with somehow rather unwillingness.

"For burning people.”

“You? Burning people? Bad people?”

A scoff. Bitter smile. His eyes looked so distant. “All of them.”

* * *

They made love like no other. And despite his look (he was not frail-looking but he was not Newgate looking either, Marco was lean), Marco could keep up with him.

Newgate suspected that perhaps Marco was even stronger than him. Man fucked like there was no tomorrow, drunk like they were all water, and fought like a…

Devil himself?

Never been once he saw a scratch on Marco. His blue fire was always present. Scorching everything in his path (he must have not kidding when he said he burnt people, but Newgate was not one to judge, for what he did was maybe worse than him).

Although there were times when he let Newgate touched his fire, and they didn’t burn. They cooled. And went as much as healed his mortal wound.

“What are you?” He said once.

Marco stilled, still focused on the wound he was healing. He didn’t look at Newgate’s eyes.

“What do you think?”

Newgate shrugged. “A god?”

The response he got was ambiguous. “Ah. I see.”

Newgate didn’t like how he sounded so he kissed Marco, slow and chaste. That was the softest sex that they had ever had. What with Marco being so beautiful, and Newgate loved him so dearly. He let the man played with his hair and hummed in contentedness.

* * *

Nobody really wanted to follow a captain who had made a partner with his first mate, but then it didn’t matter for both of them. Taking in only people who were willing to share their adventure.

It was kinda surprising as the next person to join them was a young lady. Newgate liked her and Marco seemed to get close with her surprisingly fast.

“Are you jealous?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You look good together?”

“You said we didn’t look good together?”

“No… it’s just…”

Marco smirked. “If it’s your way to coax me into steamy sex then I’ll let you know that it works.”

And then gone was what supposed to be Newgate’s breath. All stolen by the man-god of blue fire.

Not surprisingly enough Whitey Bay knew about them. She didn’t really mind.

* * *

They celebrated Newgate’s first bounty as a captain (he already had one before) and not really surprised when an offer to be warlord arrived.

(They laughed it off)

* * *

And then, the boy of ice came to see them.


	6. Man's bounty on the wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace never noticed before.

“The fuck Ace, what took you so long?! We thought you may have died.”

Ace chuckles, unloading his brother’s ship cook’s macaroon souvenir and distributing them. “Me? Died?”

“Admit it Ace, you gotta be reckless too sometimes.”

Still having a big grin plastered on his face, he shrugs. “Well, I only made sure that my younger brother didn’t die. He was targetted by a crocodile bastard.”

“What, the one who challenged Pops quite while ago?”

“I thought he had sir on his name too?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. By the way Ace, you just missed Red-Hair’s visit.”

Ace looks up from his macaron. “He came?”

“Yea.”

“Why? Is he usually that social?”

Thatch shallows his last piece of macaroon, clearing his throat. “Well, he came with the news, which is not so new anymore.”

The man looks at his fellow commanders. “Say Ace, how familiar are you with our fellow Yonkos? Other than Red-Hair, I mean.”

Ace tilts his head, humming. “Big mom and Kaido?”

“Yeah precisely them.”

“What does it get to do with Pops? They’re not intending to be friendly, right?”

Thatch and the others laugh.

* * *

“Pops, you’re inside?” Ace peeked inside the captain’s room. A room that somewhat had become way too familiar to him (thanks to his 100 days of assassination attempts for the future-to-be-captain and father).

“Ace, you’re back.” The answering voice from his old man brings a smile to Ace’s face.

“Yeah, entangled with my younger brother affair for a while, sorry. He gave me a souvenir for you. Macaroon.”

A pair of golden orbs gaze Ace and the fire-cracker boy feels an affection building on his chest, an admiration somewhat undescribable.

“What are you doing?” he added as he saw his pops meddled with his huge collection of den den mushi.

“Calling allies, just in case.” Whitebeard reached for the macaroon offered, humming in appreciation for the taste. “Maybe Thatch can make this too sometimes. This is good.”

“Righttt? Sanji is good. They won’t join under your flag though, that brother of mine’s crew.”

Whitebeard laughs. “Should I be worry?”

Ace frowns. “You? The strongest man in the world worries over my younger brother?!”

Whitebeard hums. “Can’t be too sure about that, right Ace? If he is just as good as you are telling us. He will be a threat somewhere in the future. I can’t be strongest forever.”

Ace huffs, he climbs on a barrel and sits in lotus. “Those are our allies?” he asked, changing the topic easily, pointing to the wall of bounties covering one side of Pops’ wall. “They said Kaido is challenging you.”

“Who said?”

“Thatch and the others. Shanks even came to visit.”

Whitebeard hums again. Reaching for as his other hand playing with a sleeping den den mushi.

“Just in case.”

Ace nods. Still browsing through the wall, he notices how Whitey Bay’s bounty poster is always on the top of the others. He has heard about her, one of the earliest crew member that Pops gathered. And beside her…

Ace never noticed it before because the poster was just so old. Most of the time, when a bounty poster doesn’t get updated for so long, it only means that the head’s owner is dead.

But the man he saw several days ago was pretty much alive and… still looked the same?

“That man will come too?”

“Which man?”

“The one on Whitey Bay’s right? How can his bounty poster is so old when the man is still alive? Did he quit piracy or what?”

There is a pause in the air, as Whitebeard seems to freeze. Ace looks at his captain. “Pops?”

“Where?” the man said, slowly, almost painfully.

“Huh?”

“Where did you see him? And when?”

Ace looks at his Pops who seems to be changing color and aura too. That pair of golden orbs show peace no more. There is storm coming and Ace is looking at its eye.

Ace tells him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marcoace's version will go through different plot so I think I'll focus on this one first. 
> 
> Thank you for reading ^^


	7. The first mate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Think we should change vocation and build a fishing company? We can earn a lot.”
> 
> Newgate looked at her eerily. “This is a pirate ship, not a fishing ship!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was fun, writing this. This is still my favorite part after Marco's history with Newgate.
> 
> Anyone who has difficulty in imagining two years ago Newgate (he was 72?) can always get Newgate from Wano flashback. He was pretty much a snac by then (44 yo?). I don't mind both, tho. He was amazing, a gorgeous person from the beginning till the very end.
> 
> Also, thank you for having this journey with me ^^ Never would I've thought that there was someone out there shipping this bizarre ship (I am pretty much a solo author in this relationship tag ^^;).

_“I’ll leave Moby in your hand, Vista.”_

_“You’re going somewhere?”_

_“Yes, to meet an important ally.”_

_“You’re taking your_ naginata _with you?”_

_“He may need some convincing.”_

* * *

Ace watches the night sky from Moby’s deck. It’s late so the human population on the deck has lessened considerably. Back plastered on the hard and robust floor, he recognizes someone’s walking to him.

“Why would Pops leave in hurry like that, Rokuyo?” Ace asked, without really looking at the newcomer. He knows that it’s him. And indeed he is right. Rokuyo takes Ace’s side to sit in lotus.

“Because he doesn’t wanna miss the man?”

“Who is THE man?”

Rokuyo looks at the youngest commander. “You read the name. Marco the Phoenix.”

“And that name is self-explanatory?”

“Pretty much.”

Ace is so hitting Rokuyo with his fireball but then they say respect elderly (no offense, Rokuyo!). Instead, he is letting out a sigh, albeit a flaming one. “So, since he is so up above the rest of the bounty posters, allies and ours too. I suppose he is a real important person for Pops?”

Rokuyo tilts his head. The cute act shouldn’t suit him but somehow he doesn’t look creepy doing that. “Don’t you know? Marco is Pops’ first-mate.

* * *

_“You guys are really unbelievable.” Whitey Bay sighed as she took the fish out of the water with her fishing rod. “This is supposed to be a leisure activity. We’re fishing, guys, not hunting.”_

_Newgate looked at her with a coy look as his catch flopping all around Moby’s deck. Had been using tsunami to get them all, what, with Marco prepared to catch any fish thrown out of the water with his powerful talon._

_“Think we should change vocation and build a fishing company? We can earn a lot.”_

_Newgate looked at her eerily. Huffing. “This is a pirate ship, not a fishing ship!”_

_Marco landed on the deck, throwing his latest catch with a chuckle. “I can be our accountant. I am good with numbers.”_

_Newgate looked at him with a betrayed look._

_Marco deliberately ignored him to fetch some escaping fishes. “With this, we can make a luxurious dinner. All fish of course. What do you propose, Bay?”_

_The girl brightens considerably, pointing to her own catch proudly. “I’ll have a normal-sized sea bass with lemon garlic herbs sauce. You can make fish soup with those monstrosities.“_

_In a corner, busying himself with the said monstrosity, Newgate rolled his eyes. Sulking._

_“Herbs she said, do we even have that? Herbs, tck, how so fancy!”_

_Marco and Bay exchanged amused looks and laughed._

* * *

_“I am in so so in a food coma. Maybe we should hold back ourselves fishing. Let some of those fishes go.” Newgate hummed behind Marco’s back, running his fingers on his partner’s skin peacefully._

_Marco looks up to Newgate, smiling. “Or we can always get another to join the crew.”_

_Newgate kissed Marco softly. “Good idea. Someone who can fish us out the water will be good. What with us three are devil fruit-users.”_

_Marco looked at Newgate questioningly. “What do you mean? I can fish us out of the sea.”_

_Newgate leaned back, just to see Marco better. “Are you kidding me?”_

_“Not at all. I can swim. Why do you think I am okay with having another hammer in the ship if I am a hammer too?”_

_Newgate couldn’t really tell if Marco was kidding or not. He looked pretty much serious though. “You’re not shitting me?”_

_Marco sighed. He climbed down the bed (much to Newgate’s disappointment) and walked to the trunk, fetching something buried deep under everything else._

_Newgate tremendously enjoyed the view, what, with Marco padding naked and then stooping before the trunk. Newgate felt his nether region soon getting active, unavoidably._

_“Remember this?” said Marco, showing a pair of a cuff that somehow Newgate had forgotten its existence. He had that cuff for an emergency if they came to meet an enemy with abilities that needed to be restrained with sea-stone. Though, how the application would go himself he hadn’t really thought about. Well, he always thought that he would have some non-user crew._

_Anyway, Marco walked back to their bed but stopping just before it. On his hand, the sea-stone cuff looked harmless. “Touch it, so you know that it’s real.”_

_Newgate looked at Marco, shrugging, but still complying. Cold and discomfort sipped his body as soon as his finger touched the thing. He looked back at Marco. If it was indeed sea-stone cuff. How could he hold the thing so casually?_

_“Can you let out your power?”_

_Newgate almost rolled his eyes. “Of course not.”_

_Marco’s eyes turned fiery. “Then watch me.”_

_Marco put on the cuff on his wrist and called for his flame. In a flash, a pair of wings bloomed behind him. It was so hot that Newgate’s hand went with his instinct to cover his face from the flame. However, the heat soon subsided and it turned cool. A cool fire that was familiar to Newgate as Marco often used it to heal wounds._

_Newgate looked at Marco with awe. “What are you?” said he, almost in a whisper. A whimper._

_Marco smiled, eyes were rather sad. “You know the answer.”_

_There was a pregnant silence between them. Even after Marco called his fire off and returned the cuff to the trunk, Newgate still looked at him with a mixture of feelings. Marco couldn’t be sure what to call on that. So he didn’t say a thing too._

_And then they heard Bay screaming._


	8. From the darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calm water soon turns wild as the darkness ejects something big, not as big as Moby per se, but still. The distinctive laugh that follows works almost like self-intro.
> 
> “Jehahahaha…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. I hate him too.

_Marco was there first, staring at the intruder who was leaning on the railing in way too casual manner._

_“Let her go,” he said, in a tone so low it sounded almost like a growl._

_“Where is she?” Newgate inquired because he didn’t see Bay anywhere._

_“In the water.”_

_“In the water?! But she can’t swim!”_

_And he was such a hammer too, damnit!_

_“She is not drowning. He got her.”_

_Newgate looked at the casual boy. He couldn’t be older than 15 at the time. “What?!”_

_Truthfully, the boy made a vague motion with his hand and suddenly there was iceberg spearing the water, emerging so fast upwards. Inside it, there was a young girl entrapped._

_Bay could be unconscious or dead (it couldn’t be!) and Newgate had no way of knowing. He gritted his teeth, glaring to the intruder boy with so much anger he could feel the air prickling on his fingertips._

_Still, the voice that came from him was remarkably level. “Don’t harm her.”_

_The boy looked at him, shrugging.“Depends on what your partner’s say.”_

_“I can’t possibly do what you ask.”_

_Newgate didn’t like how tense Marco’s tone was. What did this boy want from Marco? Why asking Marco and not him? “What is it about, Marco.”_

_Marco sounded exasperated. “He wants you to surrender to Marine.”_

_“Okay. Is it because I reject the warlord offer?”_

_Boy swatted his hand impatiently. “Because your captain had been shackled, and we’re in the middle of locating your crews.”_

_“I see.”_

_“You are strong, and a clash with you can cost us a lot. So, come with me willing and without a fight, I’ll let your crews go.”_

_“I told you I can’t do that.”_

_The boy looked at Marco again. “You can always find a new captain if you’re so desperate to play a pirate. Think about this girl’s life.”_

_Newgate shook his head. “Marco, I got this. We can’t let Bay die like that. And let him hurt you.”_

_Marco looked at him with disbelief. “But you have a dream!”_

_“Yes, and it is to build a big family. However, you’re wrong if you think I can’t forgo a family member just for the sake of my life.”_

_The boy nods. “You hear him. I’ll let her go with the cost of you coming with me willingly. That sounds fair. Also, this girl doesn’t have much time, so decide quickly.”_

_And then, as if an idea suddenly came to his mind, he added, “Ah, I can help you decide, how foolish of me.”_

_“Wha-?”_

_A spear of ice flew and stroke Marco, right on the chest._

_“Marco!”_

_Air shock that was released through his fingers was almost like instinct and Newgate saw with horror as the iceberg started to broke down and Bay fell to the water._

_In a flash, a blast of blue fire consumed everything in Newgate’s periphery. The ship exploded and Newgate felt like being punched to the water._

_He couldn’t see Bay, Marco, or the boy anymore. Being drawn to the seafloor, something, a hand… reached to him and grabbed him tightly._

* * *

“Wait, you’re saying that this Marco is so powerful that even a sea-stone won’t have any affect him? Is that even possible? Not to mention that he can swim. What kind of devil fruit is that? Is he even a human, at all?”

“Pops won’t say.”

Shrugs delivered all around the deck. Which is weird, because all Ace remembers is him talking to Rakuyo and not to the others? Since when did these guys gather on the decks? Like seriously, Thatch? Vista? Izou?

Izou tips the head of his _kiseru_ on an ashtray that magically appears on the deck. “Tell me Ace. When you met Marco, how did he look?”

Ace looks at Izou weirdly. “Huh? What do you mean?”

A shrug from Thatch. “We have a theory about him being immortal? And whether he ages or not…”

Ace is dumbfounded. He never thought of that about this Marco. And these brothers even…

“I don’t know. He looks the same as the bounty poster.” Ace hummed, thinking. “But then that poster’s gotta be twenty years old, right?”

“Twenty-two.”

“Alright. If he looked about thirty then, well…”

Ace looks at his brothers with a frown.

“Well?”

Ace’s frown deepens. “He doesn’t look fifty.”

“So Marco doesn’t really age then?!”

“What if he only has a youthful look, that’s possible!”

“I don’t think that’s the case, Thatch. Ace said, he looked just like his bounty poster.”

“Then that’s really amazing, I mean… I always thought that he didn’t survive that. Pops was devastated. We were all mourning him. It was so horrifying… Nobody thought that Marco was capable of getting hurt, though we were facing Sengoku himself at that time so… ”

“Was that the year Pops started drinking?”

“Yeah… that's like the darkest time for us all.”

Silence.

“But if Marco survived it and lived, why didn’t he come back? Did he lose his memory or what?”

* * *

Ace listens to all the chatters, compiling information he can get to ask Pops later when he comes back. Though when precisely he doesn’t know, hopefully soon.

Since he is real curious, and also because the development of recent events unsettles him somehow. Like how the air of tonight feels prickling his skin and sends shiver on his back (and it gets nothing to do with his shirtless condition).

“Ace, where are going?” Vista asked as he noticed the boy rose from his lotus position.

The boy of fire shrugs. “No… not going anywhere. I am just… I don’t know. Don’t you feel something weird, like at all? I don’t like the air.”

Vista lifts his brows, almost like humming, “Now that you say that…”

Out of instinct Ace calls for his fire and, much to his brothers’ surprise, sends a gigantic fireball to the night sky. His fire hits something invisible, makes the thing visible enough for Vista to deliver his wind and petal slashes, and then the ever ready to fight Jozu hits the rest of debris off Moby.

Calm water soon turns wild as the darkness ejects something big, not as big as Moby per se, but still. The distinctive laugh that follows works almost like self-intro.

“Jehahahaha…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kiseru is japanese smoking pipe.
> 
> Also, I didn’t really pay attention to what Teach could and couldn’t do. I will go with real basic information and make my way from there, somehow. So inaccuracy is (almost) guaranteed.


	9. Painting on the ceiling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We meet again.”
> 
> The ice-boy. Well, he is not a boy anymore, but a man that’s towering above Marco. The god-man looks at the ice-man and Jack.
> 
> “This is unexpected, Kuzan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, the story grows. Why I am not surprised 😂

Shanks stops walking, he looks at the painting on the ceiling of the Gorosei’s castle. One of Gorosei pushes his shoulder immediately.

“Keep walking, Red-Hair.”

Shanks hums. “That painting looks familiar.”

Ice cold voice answers him, a mocking tone in there. “That can’t be possibly true. The last time you were here was when you were a child. And there is nothing like it anywhere.”

Shanks looks at him, eyes flash sharply.

“We will keep in mind what you’re telling us. We wish to never seeing you again, Red-Hair.”

* * *

Between all too brute attacks and measly defenses from his adversary, Marco notices that something’s off. Jack’s attacks are meant to kill. It shouldn’t be if the original intention is to bring Marco to Kaido.

“What, Marco? You’ve grown tired now? Your age is catching up to you?”

Marco dodges another attack from the horn and twists himself in the air, using the said horn as the leverage he goes to deliver an unavoidable kick to the Mammoth fruit user. Dislocating the man’s jaw effectively.

Jack tries to get up, but hardly can move his head, what with the weight of talon and the force of the man pressing his jaw. Still, he looks at Marco menacingly.

“You’re not here for me, are you? Kaido must have known that you’re not a match for me.”

Jack smiles.

“Speak,” Marco commanded, in a grave voice.

Jack points to his jaw, his dislocated jaw, and mouths ‘stupid’. Marco’s patience’s gone with Jack’s disfigured smirk. He grabs the man’s luscious hair and brings the man’s head to his knee.

* * *

“We meet again.”

The ice-boy. Well, he is not a boy anymore, but a man that’s towering above Marco. The god-man looks at the ice-man and Jack.

“This is unexpected, Kuzan.”

Kuzan swats his hand lazily. “Well, in the opposite I have been expecting you.”

“Sengoku too I guess?” Marco looks at his surrounding, feeling unpleasant in the air. Sure there can’t be only Jack and Kuzan here. Somebody else is near, and somehow that somebody gives him a familiar feel.

“Is he here? Or did he just send you? Sure he is not stupid, or has he turned conceited over the years of my confinement?”

Jack is groaning on and around his feet so Marco kicks him shut. The fishman lands pretty far and makes a disgruntled noise. Marco looks at him in apathy, as someone else more interesting enters the premise.

“Looked like I just broke one of your all-stars, Kaido.”

The emperor looks at him, and then to Jack who’s writhing under his feet. The emperor man ignores him, walks over him, and shrugs.

“Whatever. I sent Jack to find you and now that he did, he did not matter anymore.”

Marco looks at Kaido who towers above him, worse than Kuzan even, and sighs. “Poor Jack.”

“Why do you want to see me, anyway? What he said, Jack, can’t be true, can it? You can’t possibly ask me to join you.”

“Man can dream.”

Marco nods. “Of course.” Eyes moving to where Kuzan has been lying on the forest floor conveniently. “What about you Kuzan, surely you don’t dream about me.”

Man horizontally shrugs. “They sent me here to find you, to ask you to get back. But then now that you’re already out of your leash. This will be burdensome.” Kuzan yawns, looking way too comfortable in a company of two deadly adversaries.

How different the attitude coming from him compared to the ice-boy that he met decades ago

“I met Borsalino fortnights ago.”

“Yes, he told me.” Kuzan takes a deep sigh and closes his eyes. “But he doesn’t get a verbal answer from you so I will ask again. Will you honor the deal and stay away? You’ve been doing it for two decades, shouldn’t be too hard for you to do it again now.”

Marco sees how Kaido’s stace moves upon the intrigue. Snort easily comes to him. He laughs. “You fear me that much? To stay away from all of this, is that what you want?”

Kaido rumbles uncomfortably. “I see an easy win, I can take that. But if you choose to join anyway, then you’re more than welcome.”

Marco hums, looking at the sleeping ice-man. “I see. So you’re not going to stop me, now?”

The ice-man doesn’t answer. Kaido chuckles. “You getting out now, I know there is going to be something fun ahead. If else, why would you?” The man’s laugh rumbles the ground. As he takes his leave, he brings Jack with him.

Marco scoffs. Man is heartless but still, do something like that. This ice-man too is so leisure and trusting in his sleep. What will become of him if Marco decides to burn him?

Just curious…

Marco calls his fire so that the surrounding is illuminated by his blue fire.

“Ah, the talk is over?” Kuzan suddenly rose. Looking at his surroundings and meeting Marco’s gaze, he shrugs, completely unfazed by his fire.

“Looked like Kaido already left. I will go too.“ Man stretches his body.

“Sengoku sent me and Borsalino to get you but he knows better to expect anything.“

As Marco puts off his fire, the man nods.

“Well, see you at the battleground.”

Kuzan doesn’t wait for his answer, he walks away with almost too casual stride.


	10. Now and forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If god really is forbidden to side with a human…”
> 
> Marco tcks at that (earning a chuckle from Edward), hissing, “I will side with you even if heaven itself curses for me. Well, actually that’s what it does, cursing me. You lifted that curse, Edward. I will be with you now and forever.”
> 
> Newgate smiles, teasingly. “Forever?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than my usual update. Here, enjoy!

Walking back to the port so he can find a decent bar is proven to be difficult. What with rumors about monsters are spreading around the town and all (which 100% is his fault).

Marco doesn’t even argue after being denied entrance to a bar he intends to visit for the third time that night. He walks to the quieter part of the shore, seeing that it’s full moon hanging on the sky. Silvery light as opposed to it’s common the golden depiction.

Humming.

* * *

_"Where do you think you are going, Marco?”_

_“I am leaving now.”_

_“No, you can’t. You promised.”_

_“I was a pirate, you’re gonna hold onto a pirate’s words, really?”_

_“Well, you’re also a god. God keeps his promise.”_

_A smirk. A snort that followed after a cold voice. “Know what? You’re getting annoying. Wanna bet how long it’ll take for me to burn you?”_

_A glare. A wordless reply coming from olden eyes, weary._

_Marco snorted. “Just what I thought.”_

* * *

“I am dreaming of you and fire around you.” Marco hummed.

Inhaling the saline night air and letting go slowly. He misses this. The sound of waves hitting the shoreline, distant and muffled noise from the port, and the way night wind plays with his hair, indiscriminately.

Makes him feel humane.

Makes him terrified somehow, for dashing out and not thinking it through.

“Makes me wonder about the things that he will say. He hates me that’s for sure. But I can’t let things happen the way that it is shown to me. That’ll defeat the purpose of me being away.”

Humming again.

Suddenly Marco feels another familiar presence nearby. His heartbeat is picking up upon realizing who the person is. Panicking a little. Then he looks up to see it, really see it, the person who looks at him like he commits bloody murder (but then it is not completely wrong.).

Marco can’t smile (he is way too nervous about this). Somehow he expects the _naginata_ slash that will fly for him, though the ambush never comes. It is quiet and way too tense.

“Edward?”

He totally doesn’t see it (and he can see future really well, partly the reason why he is here of all places) when _naginata_ falls to the sand and the man walks to him, quickly too, albeit his size and the sandy surface, then kisses him.

(Tears that flows from Edward hurts Marco more than anything.)

Marco holds Edward with the softest touch, even though he knows that fragile is anything that Edward’s but. He misses them, the touch, the caress, the loving.

Everything.

Why he forgo all of this back then, he can’t say that he regrets it, but now that he gets an armful of Edward (actually more than that, Edward is huuuuuge now it’s almost funny), he is thankful.

Really thankful.

* * *

_“God doesn’t side with human, Newgate. Because if he does, then the world will fall into chaos.”_

* * *

Looking at Marco, a real-life Marco, and not a delusion that comes from the figment of his imagination.

Damn, he looks good.

He didn’t change? Like, at all? 

He looks cutely smaller for sure.

Breathing in the scent that is Marco, Edward pleads, “Don’t you dare leaving again.”

There is a pause that grows long until it can be awkward for some people but somehow it is not for them. One thing that Edward dares to hope, for Marco to stay permanently this time, because of how the things looking at it, but then there is always a ‘what if’.

What if it is not at all about him?

Marco is a god after all.

“Damn Edward, you’re huge now.” Marco chuckles. Eyes shining and smile is still so beautiful as Edward used to remember it. So he tells him.

“And you’re still as beautiful as I remember you.”

(Marco cringes to the word.)

(“What you’re not good with delicate stuff now?”)

* * *

_"Sorry, the ship blew up. I guess you have a shitty taste when it comes to crew members.”_

* * *

“This boat is smaller than I think.”

Marco looks at Edward, catching him does the rolling eyes. “Considering you’re now an emperor, not to mention your size.”

“So you’ve heard.”

“I heard everything.” Marco hummed. Smiling. “The name is still Moby, I presume?”

“If you hear about me enough you’d know Moby and everyone.”

Marco climbs the railing just to reach Edward and kiss the sulking man softly. Edward leans to the kiss and sighs contently, totally forgoing his sulk. “I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again. What Sengoku said…”

“You went to Impel Down just for me. That was stupid.”

“Well, I was stupidly in love.”

Marco cringes again. He jumps down his man and sits on a wooden crate. “Kaido told me the shit. You went home to Mary Joa.”

“That’s not my home.”

“You lived there.”

“Yes, for a while.”

“And how long is that ‘a while’?

Marco shrugs, annoyed at the pointless banter. “A few human lifetimes, okay? It’s still not my home. I told you what my home is.”

“Yet, you still left.”

“For your sake.”

“Because I was too weak. But you’re a god, you can just burn everything.”

Marco gives Edward a look. “That’s how you expect me to do things? Burning them away?” There was hurt in that voice and Edward didn’t like the look on Marco’s face.

“I just don’t like the fact that I aged while you stayed beautiful just the way I remembered you.”

“Huh?”

“Okay, forget that you ever hear that. So… you left because you wanted to protect me and our crews, also for them marines to keep a blind on us, that’s what Sengoku told me, and not because you didn’t want me anymore?”

“Seriously?”

Edward sighs. “I just want to be sure.”

Marco tilts his head, looking at Edward closely. He sighs. “I love you. I didn’t want you to hate me. If I did burn everything back then, what would you think of me? A monster? Ah… wait, a bad god. To be honest I was afraid.”

Edward looks at Marco, noticing discomfort and the smallness that is not at all Marco-like in him.

“I saw the war was coming for you. You won’t be alone this time. I’ll come with you and make sure they all regret ever trying to mess up with you.”

Edward pulls Marco into a kiss and embraces his love, a god.

“If god really is forbidden to side with a human…”

Marco tcks at that (earning a chuckle from Edward), hissing, “I will side with you even if heaven itself curses for me. Well, actually that’s what it does, cursing me. You lifted that curse, Edward. I will be with you now and forever.”

Newgate smiles, teasingly. “Forever?”

Marco rolls his eyes. “My forever is different from yours. I promise I’ll protect you and your family until the end of my time. You like that enough?”

Newgate kisses Marco’s palm, smiling. “Our family.” he corrected.

* * *

Right after passing the range of communication jammer, Shanks' den den mushi rings loudly. The snail looks hysterical even it gives him a stab of dread. Truthfully, the snail cried even before he gets a chance to ask what's going on.

"Captain! Moby has been ambushed! We believe that it's Blackbeard and Kaido's operatives!"

Shanks' heart drops.

"They took Whitebeard's second division commander, Portgas D. Ace."

* * *

"So it finally begins."

"Officially, yes."

Olden eyes of a man look at his guest. "God doesn't side with humans. Because if he does the world will fall into chaos."

"Yes, I know that."

"That god has chosen to side with Edward Newgate, hence a certain action needs to be done."

The olden man smile thinly, "Even a god can be killed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually, I rewrite the whole thing? Like I already had several chapters saved, but then it felt too flat for their reunion part, hence. 
> 
> Also, I can’t believe you have to wait for 10 chapters to see them getting back together. The ending is near too. I think after finishing this fic I will continue the Marcoace version which I neglect so that I can focus on this one ^^
> 
> Thank you for reading and having this journey with me ^^


End file.
